I'm not a drama freak, I can really see through the script

Chapter 300, Giving up "Lurking" for "The Long Season," is Gao Yuanyuan an idiot?

In essence, status is the ability to leverage resources.

Near-first-tier, first-tier, box office appeal, viewership appeal, and the investment that can be leveraged.

Someone at Jet Li's level can leverage 100 million yuan in film fees; "The Warlords" had an investment of 300 million yuan.

陈昆
It can leverage an investment of 100 million.

Huang Xiaoming knew.

His next film is called "Painted Skin," and he and Zhou Xun are jointly investing a total of 100 million yuan.

When Huang Xiaoming saw the investment amount, he knew that even if Li Xuan didn't pull him down, he was still quite far from being as good as Chen Kun.

Damn it, a hundred million.

Huang Xiaoming couldn't help but chuckle at this thought; he had managed to leverage an investment of 100 million yuan.

Are you feeling down?

"Hmm, I see the gap between us, and I'm a little disappointed."

“You can’t think of it that way. This 100 million investment was something Zhou Xun and I shouldered together, not something I did alone.” Chen Kun paused for a moment and then said, “At the same time, there was also the support from the company behind us. You know, compared to Li Xuan, our net worth and ability to leverage investments are inflated. My true ability will be when I open my own studio and become independent, and that’s when I can leverage investments of what level.”

Regarding my own situation.

Chen Kun is surprisingly objective.

Moreover, he couldn't help but express some envy towards Li Xuan.

Because no matter what, Li Xuan is 'free'.

He writes, directs, and stars in his own films, and without any backing from capital, he can film whatever he wants. This is somewhat similar to Jiang Wen, who doesn't even care about the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Chen Kun also knows that his net worth and ability to leverage resources are based on the capital behind him, the Beijing circle, and the status of the "I+" circle.

Li Xuan is Li Xuan; he has his own status and his own abilities.

"If you're so envious, why don't you leave the company? You're not short of money to pay the penalty for breaking your contract."

At this moment, Huang Xiaoming was looking at Chen Kun.

He had talked about opening a studio many times, and after witnessing Li Xuan's life, that idea became even stronger. The thoughts of independence, autonomy, and freedom spread endlessly in his mind, and it was difficult to control the blossoming of these ideas.

But in the end...
He stayed at his company.

"I can't get out of this situation anymore. Putting aside the penalty for breach of contract, which I might be able to grit my teeth and pay, I don't know what will happen if I leave the investment circle. Will I still be in this position after leaving? When you're at this level, you feel that once you leave, you'll fall down—even if you know it's poison, you'll still flock to it."

At this moment, Chen Kun lowered his face slightly and looked at himself in the mirror next to him.

Bright and radiant, dazzling with light.
One of the strongest new generation actors, he is also a standout among the middle-aged generation.

But that sense of 'constraint' and 'fear' always lingered in my mind.

I can't even imagine how much I'd have left after leaving the financial world.

Chen Kun sighed at this moment.

"You know what? Even though I'm the one being chased and he's the one chasing, I envy him, even feel jealous of him. It's a really strange feeling."

"Can't I?"

"Weren't you going to film 'Lurking'?"

"I refused."

At this point, Gao Yuanyuan indifferently turned down the role of the second female lead in "Lurking," rejecting a role she had meticulously prepared for for half a year.

That's how they found Li Xuan to film "The Long Season". She wanted the role of Shen Mo.

This woman is absolutely 'unfortunate'.

Li Xuan looked at Gao Yuanyuan.

Then nodded.

"Okay, I won't let you down."

"Hmm~ Then I'll be watching you closely."

Even her friends felt that Gao Yuanyuan's actions this time were quite impulsive. "Lurking" was highly anticipated, with an investment of nearly 40 million yuan, veteran actors, and the lead actor being Sun Honglei, a middle-aged actor known for his acting skills.

A star who possesses both acting skills and star power!

The IP belongs to Mai Jia, who is now at the height of his career after "Plot Against".

The work "Lurking".

In terms of lineup, it can be said to be quite luxurious, with acting skills, IP, big-name director, appeal, and funding. It has everything it needs. It can be said that this work is the darling of the new year and one of the most promising works.

You're totally obsessed with love.

Gao Yuanyuan accepted such criticism.

She's been accused of being love-struck, but no matter how you look at it, the work "Lurking" is much stronger—Gao Yuanyuan didn't actually benefit much from the success of "The Young Pioneers".

After all, the success of "The Young Pioneers" was due to a special circumstance: the entire cast was made up of students, and Gao Yuanyuan, as a formal actress, did not reap many benefits from this project.

What makes this work so amazing and what has shaken the industry is that it was created by a 'student team'.

Despite Li Xuan's impressive abilities, he was still a student at that time. As long as he was under that identity, everything he did was beyond his means.

People's expectations for students are different from their expectations for ordinary directors. If "The Young Pioneers" had been made by an ordinary director, it would have been quite impressive.

It's just that Li Xuan's status as a student makes him seem even more impressive.

But how to say it.

Compared to the camp of "Lurking", it is also much worse.

Director Jiang Wei is a senior from the Beijing Film Academy, with a very "red and proper" background. Since graduation, he has always had people protecting him. He is a descendant of people from both the Northwest and Beijing film circles, and can leverage resources from both sides.

If he were to direct, he would have access to a lot of resources.

Thirty million might be able to leverage sixty million in resources.

Twice the result with half the effort
The success of "Plot Against" proved that spy dramas, as a genre, can definitely achieve good viewership ratings.

Despite having such an absolute advantage and having secured a role in "Lurking," he chose Li Xuan's "The Long Season."

All I know is that it's a suspense drama, and a work from the 80s or 90s.

It doesn't sound like a mainstream drama; it doesn't sound like a drama that can achieve high ratings.
It can only be attributed to...

Gao Yuanyuan was bewitched.

Gao Yuanyuan neither confirmed nor denied this.

Gao Yuanyuan wasn't entirely clear about her inner thoughts, but at least she knew a general direction. However, at this moment, it wasn't simply a matter of giving up the opportunity to work on "Lurking" because of hormonal impulses.

I am Gao Yuanyuan, and I am also an actress.

I have my own likes and dislikes, and I also have my own career.

She wanted love, but Gao Yuanyuan respected her career—one must respect oneself before one is qualified to say one likes or loves.

Respecting one's career is respecting oneself. And out of a sense of self-respect, when "Lurking" and "The Long Season" were scheduled for release at different times, she chose "The Long Season".

I like the script, and everything else comes second.

"Did she reject big-name directors from Beijing and choose uncertainty instead? This girl really has the courage to do anything for love."

Liu Lili also heard the news at this time.

Gao Yuanyuan's status is not particularly low now, and she can be considered one of the best among the new generation of young actors in Beijing. If we had to say, she should be considered one of the "quasi-Four Little Flowers".

The list of candidates selected in one round will be the next batch of promising young actresses.

Liu Yifei, Gao Yuanyuan, Huang Shengyi, Dong Xuan.

Huang Shengyi seems to have fallen behind at the moment. Her falling out with Stephen Chow has made her acting career a bit difficult.

Unlike Li Xuan, who abandoned capital from the beginning, Huang Shengyi chose to betray his company.

This is arguably the most foolish thing to do in the industry, bar none.

Whether friend or foe, contracts and integrity are the standards for navigating this industry.
Those who violate the spirit of contracts must pay the price.

If you can afford the cost.

It's up to you.

If you can't afford the consequences, then that's another story.

Even if you're powerful enough to break the rules and face consequences, they'll still fawn over you.
That's different. You can only say it's awesome.
"Mom, I have to disagree with you on that point. She's not that kind of girl."

"What do you mean?" Liu Lili looked at Liu Yifei with slight surprise, and Liu Yifei rarely refuted her.

And you two seem to know each other quite well.

It seems we didn't interact much while filming.

"She is a..."

"She's a very clear-headed girl; I actually envy her."

Yes, Liu Yifei envies Gao Yuanyuan more, a girl whose resources are much worse than hers.

Although they are still considered to be among the top four young actresses.

But that assessment was made before Liu Yifei went abroad to film The Forbidden Kingdom. After filming The Forbidden Kingdom, she would no longer be considered one of the "Four Little Flowers".

Despite such a huge gap, she still expressed her envy.

Gao Yuanyuan is a very clear-headed girl. She doesn't hide her feelings and passion, but she also doesn't let those feelings and passion run wild.

If there must be a reason why she chose "The Long Season".

It must be the script that attracted her, it must be the character that appealed to her, rather than simply trust and following.

She is actually very rational. I saw it when I was at Li Xuan's house before—when she visited Li Xuan's house, she really did ask Li Xuan about the reason for his role in "Lurking," and that reason even made up the majority of her conversation.

Liu Yifei seemed slightly embarrassed by this.

I don't have that courage.

Or is it that you simply don't have the ability to pay for it yourself?
Liu Lili was very perceptive in noticing her daughter's change in mood.

She inevitably figured it out.

I discovered something unbelievable.

His own daughter is insecure.
Why should you feel inferior?
Is it because he feels inferior to Gao Yuanyuan?
That's impossible. My own daughter is far superior to Gao Yuanyuan in every way—appearance, temperament, family background, and all those other objective factors.

It's not arrogance, but a fact that can be objectively discerned as to the difference between strong and weak.

Why should she feel inferior because of Gao Yuanyuan?
"Oh my god, is Gao Yuanyuan an idiot?"

Yao Chen found it somewhat unbelievable.

She was initially puzzled because her Cuiping role was already off the table, but in the end, Gao Yuanyuan announced her departure. The scheduling conflict wasn't a breach of contract.

Since no real contract has been signed yet, it's not a big deal, especially since the difference between the two wasn't that great during the audition.

Now Gao Yuanyuan has lost her role and given up "Lurking" for "The Long Season".

She almost laughed out loud; winning was such a simple thing.

That's how you win?

She even found it a little unbelievable. A win without lifting a finger!
At this moment, Zhu Yuanyuan looked at Yao Chen with some helplessness. She knew that her sister was just that impatient and straightforward. It was precisely because of this that she recommended Yao Chen to audition for the role of Cui Ping in "Lurking". Originally, she had booked this role for her.

A female actress who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 97, she is an outstanding middle-aged actress. Upon graduation, she won the Beiping Chunyan Award for Best Actress and the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress for her role in "Zhang Damin".

She is known as the "Nation's Daughter-in-Law".

When it comes to playing the role of a demure young wife, she is the expert among experts.
She was originally approached for the role in "Lurking".

Later, because she was pregnant and couldn't work on the project, they recommended Yao Chen to take the role. Coincidentally, Yao Chen did need an acting performance to prove herself at that time.

She became a sensation with her role as Guo Furong in "My Own Swordsman," but this character is so unique that it easily creates a stereotypical impression of her as carefree and easygoing.

Being too good at a role also has its troubles. Yao Chen complained a while ago that all the roles she received were those that seemed carefree on the surface, but were actually carefree in reality. They were carefree at the beginning and remained the same stubborn and silly character until the end.

It's terrifying to be stuck in a fixed image, not to mention that period dramas are also showing signs of decline these days.

However, there is one thing Zhu Yuanyuan said that is hard to refute: Yao Chen said that Gao Yuanyuan is a bit silly. In any case, Li Xuan, as a promising newcomer, is indeed amazing. If there is an opportunity, it would not be a bad thing to cooperate with him.

But if Jiang Wei's "Lurking" is released at the same time, which one should be chosen?

Just like Yao Chen said.

Maybe there really is some connection.

But Zhu Yuanyuan still told Yao Chen that these things are only for sisters to say, not for outsiders.

Let's keep our own thoughts to ourselves.

There's no need to be so blunt.

In this light, Gao Yuanyuan does indeed seem like a woman blinded by love, possessing only resources and external advantages.
"However, Li Xuan is indeed quite charismatic. The waves he stirred up at the Beijing Film Academy are obvious to everyone."

At this moment, Yao Dazui felt somewhat emotional.

What Li Xuan did at the Beijing Film Academy was something no one had ever done before.

However, Zhu Yuanyuan remained noncommittal, unlike Yao Chen who reacted with such surprise.

"That depends on who you're comparing yourself to. Compared to your peers, that's certainly true, but compared to a veteran director like Jiang Wei..."

"Then you let them compete."

Zhu Yuanyuan was stunned at this moment.

Yup
I let them compete.

Subconsciously, they compared Li Xuan to those directors who held high positions.

(End of this chapter)